Alexei stirred slightly as the plane came to a stop. From his seat next to the window, he was able to spot a number of similar airplanes preparing to taxi or takeoff. It seemed that he had finally reached Hyères after a grueling eighteen-hour flight. Flying first-class could only alleviate a problem like that for so long. The roar of the plane's engines slowly died down as the mechanized ramp attached itself to the boarding doors. The Russian let out a sigh as he staggered to his feet, stretching his limbs for only a moment before retrieving his briefcase from the overhead compartments.

The weather today was fair. Pleasantly warm, but not quite sunny. A happy medium, by Alexei's standards. He produced a cigarette from his coat pocket, lighting it with his fingertips before bringing it to his mouth. He took a long drag of the paper stick, enjoying the calmness it brought to his body as the other passengers walked down the boarding ramp. The good stuff. With his urge sated, the man walked towards the airport to retrieve the rest of his belongings.

The man left the airport with a single large black trunk being pulled along in one hand and an equally ubiquitous black briefcase in the other. Both pieces of luggage had some considerable heft to them, but at this point, he was more than accustomed to the weight of both. While he had booked a hotel, the man recalled that a few members of this alliance (both the Mage's Association and the Church alike) were arriving by train. Alexei held no particular love for either faction, but this threat was something he could not handle alone. With a plan in his mind, the man hailed a taxi and departed towards the Hyères train station.

"...A tourist, eh?" The taxi driver asked him in fluent English. The man was either friendlier than most, or looking forward to a tip. Either way, Alexei would oblige him. "да." He agreed. "I am here to see the sights." The taxi driver nodded in acceptance of the answer, in spite of the Russian's heavily accented English. "Well, I hope you enjoy your trip." The driver grinned. The Russian merely gave the man a polite smile in response. The transit there would not be long at all, thanks to the airport's proximity to the train station. The city entered his view as they drove past. The traditional and contemporary buildings were foreign, but nothing he hadn't seen before. As far as the man concerned, this was just another job.

When he had arrived at the train station, Alexei made sure to give the man a modest tip before leaving. He would never admit it, but it was more for his sake than theirs; they usually won't ask questions this way and see him as another tourist, rather than a stingy foreigner who haggles for everything. The mage disembarked, securing his luggage and heading towards one of the nearby benches near the entrance of the building to await his companions. He took out another cigarette and began smoking in silence.